STAFFORD – Fireworks lit up the night sky at Stafford Motor Speedway Friday after the conclusion of feature events.

But Woody Pitkat and Eric Berndt were happy to show fans that pyro on the track isn’t needed to put on a show.

Pitkat and Berndt put on a late race side-by-side battle for supremacy in the SK Modified feature Friday.

In the end it was Pitkat edging Berndt by a nose at the checkered flag to win the 45-lap Xtra Mart Xtra D NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature.

“He was coming,” Pitkat said of Berndt. “I know if he got through traffic before me he probably would have won tonight. That was awesome racing. That was just so cool to be able to run side-by-side like that. … I have all the respect in the world racing with him. I’ve always said that him and Todd Owen are the cleanest guys here in the SK Modifieds, sometimes they’re probably too clean. But that was really cool. That was a lot of fun.”

It was the second victory of the season for Pitkat, of Stafford.

Berndt, of Cromwell, was second and Ted Christopher of Plainville third.

“We were better up on the top and he was better on the bottom,” Berndt said. “He had the preferred lane. But side-by-side racing for the last couple laps, great show for the fans. No fence, no wrecking, no nothing. That’s how it should be up there every Friday night. Definitely a great race. We might have had a tick faster car but sometimes it doesn’t prevail. We’ll come back next week and see what we can do next week.”

Pitkat went by Michael Gervais Jr. for the lead with a low move off of turn four on lap 24. Berndt moved to second past Gervais on lap 28.

Comments

Hard, fast and clean racing is still alive!!! Wow what a great show at Stafford last night. That torrid battle between Woody and Eric was the topper. One for the ages proving SK racing doesn’t have to be the crash fest it often is. Old school rules!!

A pleasure to watch clean close racing done with obvious respect between Pitkat and Berndt. It reminded me of the modified races of the 70’s and early 80’s when drivers drove with respect for each other and their expensive equipment. Wish races could be like that consistently and maybe more cars and fans would return to the Ct. weekly short tracks.